ee r F
The LAKER WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 7
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS LAW FIRM, P.L. HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY 813-868-1887 “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights” 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
Get all your favorite local news stories online.
lakerlutznews.com
COURTESY OF STEPHEN JOHN PHOTOGRAPHY
Bill Cronin, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council, left; Jennifer Cofini, chairwoman of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors; Hope Allen, president and chief executive officer of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce; Mike Cox, chairman of the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce; and Mike Moore, chairman of the Pasco County Commission, had a press conference to announce the merger of the Wesley Chapel and Greater Pasco chambers.
Merger yields largest chamber in Pasco By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce have merged to create the largest chamber in Pasco County. The new chamber has more than 860 members, and it is growing. Wesley Chapel contributed about 615 members in the merger, and Greater Pasco nearly 250 members. The first event of the merged chambers will be a Final Friday mixer on July 28 at the Cheval Golf and Athletic Club, in Tampa. A consolidation resolution received approval in mid-June from the chambers’ board members. The merger was announced on June 28 at a press conference at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Land O’ Lakes High School. Hope Allen, president and chief executive officer of the Wesley Chapel chamber;
Stigma poses obstacle to mental health care By B.C. Manion
Service the Way
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
it Oughta Be!
People who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder have a 20 percent risk factor for suicide, Dr. Marlene Hart said, during a community seminar at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. Despite that staggering risk, however, many people refuse to seek treatment for mental health problems.
B.C. MANION
Dr. Marlene Hart hopes to help reduce the stigma attached to mental illness, with the goal of encouraging more people to seek the treatment they need.
That needs to change, Hart told the audience. A shift in public perception about the
If you go WHAT: Final Friday mixer for chamber members WHEN: July 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Prime 19 @ Cheval Golf and Athletic Club, 4312 Cheval Blvd., Tampa COST: Free INFO: Call Wesley Chapel chamber at (813) 994-8534, or email office@WesleyChapelChamber.com
“We were engaged and now we’re married, blending our two families.” The new chamber and the Pasco EDC can complement one another in supporting the business community, Cox said. Pasco EDC is a nonprofit that works with Pasco government to create jobs and attract See CHAMBER, page 11A
problem could go a long way to help, she said. “We have to fight stigma. It interferes with people getting treatment. It causes people not to come in,” Hart said. “If there is one message that I hope people get — is that psychiatric disorders, including bipolar … are medical problems. “The brain is the most complicated organ in the body,” Hart added.“Why would we think, for whatever reason, it doesn’t have imbalances? It’s not logical.” There are about 5.7 million adult Americans who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is about 2.6 percent of the population, according to the National Institute on Mental Health. Hart, who is medical director at North Tampa Behavioral Health, has worked with countless clients struggling to overcome the See HEALTH, page 11A
Construction crews smooth out a parking lot in front of a shopping strip at Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56.
LK/LZ
$25 OFF
Michael Cox, chairman of the Greater Pasco chamber; Bill Cronin, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council; and, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore were among those who attended. Allen will assume leadership duties of the new chamber. “I don’t have a crystal ball on what the impact will be, but we hope our impact is to be the voice of the business community,” said Allen. “We can speak with one voice, one very large voice.” The merger follows a decision in January to sign an affiliation agreement to allow members to join both chambers at discounted fees. “That’s what got us working together,” said Cox.“We realized it was well-received by our members.” It’s been a natural progression since January, said Allen. “We were officially courting,” she said.
SERVICE REPAIR A/C, Plumbing or Electrical
$39.95
LK/LZ
Must present coupon. cannot be coMbined.one per visit. exp. 7/31/17
Service call Mon-Fri 7am-5pm
Must present coupon. cannot be coMbined.one per visit. exp. 7/31/17
CAC1816647 CFC1428982 EC0001103
Same-Day Service Free 2nd Opinion* Free Estimates** 24/7 Emergency **Free estimates for new A/C, water heater, water treatment and electrical panel upgrade. *Free second opinion with written diagnosis from another company.
CORNERSTONEPROS.COM
813-990-0561
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
KATHY STEELE
More construction pops up on State Road 56 By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Until recently the south side of State Road 56, by the Interstate 75 interchange, created the most commercial buzz. Tampa Premium Outlets and a slew of restaurants turned grassland into a shopping and dining mecca. More is on the way. Starbucks is the latest opening on the south side of the highway. It’s next to Culver’s. But, now it’s the north side of the state road that’s starting to see a surge of new restaurants and shops as the next phase of Cypress Creek Town Center kicks into gear. Sierra Center Boulevard, off the entryway at Grand Cypress Drive, is the center of the activity.
The town center straddles both sides of State Road 56, at its juncture with Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75. The southern side largely is being developed by Simon Properties and Richard E. Jacobs, with Sierra Properties in control on the northern side. Its properties are listed under the ownership of Pasco Ranch, Inc. Ford’s Garage and Pollo Tropical, which opened in recent months, were first up for Sierra. Now, Wendy’s and Taco Bell are nearly ready for fast-food delivery. Heading east along Sierra Center, work crews are rolling out a parking lot and laying landscaping for a multi-store retail center. According to county permitting records, Men’s Wearhouse, Mellow Mushroom, Mattress One,T-Mobile, and Great Clips are
future tenants. Hutton, with headquarters in Chattanooga, is developing the retail center. Hutton representatives could not be reached for additional details. A stand-alone Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant is slated for a spot just east of the shopping strip, according to county records. In January, a pre-application meeting was held with county planners to discuss a location on Sierra Center for Bahama Breeze Island Grill. Another restaurant headed to Cypress Creek is Newk’s Eatery. According to QSR Magazine, the company, based in Jackson, Mississippi, plans to open as many as 30 new restaurants in Florida in five years. Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area are
See CONSTRUCTION, page 11A